WITH total disregard for damaging wildlife habitats and historic country paths, the backroom boys of Sefton council are pressing ahead with plans to sacrifice precious green belt for housing.

The town hall toadies have earmarked 1,783 homes sites on presently protected land – more than 700 of them near the banks of the River Alt.

Their crazy logic is that Sefton must build the houses to attract a new generation of business managers to boost the borough's economy.

No mention of course, that the main attraction of north Sefton – as it is – are the wide swathes of fields and woodland.

But that's just one end of the municipal pantomime horse.

At the other is the revelation that Sefton already has more than 3,000 long-term empty properties, complete with the problems neglected houses inflict on otherwise decent neighbourhoods (yes, even in the best of roads, there's always the house with thigh-high swaying grass, chipped paint and dirty curtains).

Better to sort out this downside through a matched-buyer scheme first, rather than invade and wreck what diminishing natural beauty is left.

Residents have until August 12 to bring Sefton's pen-pushers to their senses.